Intruder

For someone who has not been on this cruise before, I think it's important to note that this is not a "family" cruise. Not to say there is nothing to do for children or teenagers, but we found that the majority of the passengers use this cruise as transportation to/from the States and Europe. It is less expensive than air fare, much more enjoyable, and there are no baggage limitations. Ideal for those people who reside in England during the summer and in the States for the winter. It is also an excellent way to start off your extended European travels.

We have been on this ship before and I did find a slight decline in the ware & tear of the stateroom furniture. It is definitely time to consider remodeling the ship. Also, the projector in the cinema stopped working on the last couple of days.

We were disappointed that they no longer have a wine package and opted not to purchase a beverage package which would have required we drink a lot more wine on a daily basis than we need or wanted to, in order to get any value out of the package. Purchasing wine by the glass ($9+) or by the bottle ($35+) can be costly as well.

Smoke? Yes, there is smoking in the Casino but amazingly it did not travel throughout the ship and into the adjacent bar.

Mother Nature, unfortunately, did not give us her blessing. Most of the travel days were cold and rainy which meant that our plans to visit the outdoor pool and on-deck activities were curtailed. She did bless us with beautiful days each stop we made.... Norfolk, VA, Ireland, France & Belgium. It was back to cold and rainy when we docked in England. Be prepared for cold weather (in the 50's).

There are enough lectures, trivia games, movies, bingo, etc. scheduled throughout the day, to keep everyone busy, in spite of the weather. One of our interests are in playing cards and we did have sanctioned bridge games on board. The cruise director, Clodagh O'Connor, was outstanding.

Was it the best cruise I've ever taken? No. But did we have a good time? Absolutely.

We too were disappointed about not being able to purchase a wine package. Purchasing a glass at a time can get very expensive on a 14-day cruise, especially at the $9+ per glass. You can purchase by the bottle and have them save what you haven't consumed but remember that if you purchase it in the dining room, it might cost you a couple dollars more. Therefore, go to a bar and purchase it there. You can take it to the dining room or back to your room to consume at your leisure. Remember that you are allowed to bring 1 bottle per person on board with you. The least expensive beverage package which includes wine, is about $35/day per person. That means you must consume at least a whole bottle every day to get any value out of this package. Packages cannot be shared.